I don’t completely ignore the person next to me, but it’s rare for me to offer more than a ‘hello’ or offer to put items in the overhead for ladies or older persons. My seat mate is already way too close to my personal space, and if I find them annoying or boorish, it’s a dreadful combination. An ipod with isolation headphones works wonders. I’ve had more losses then wins when with seat mates:
One guy had to be arrested upon landing after threatening the stewardess, and following that threatened me when I told him to leave her alone.
I’ve had multiple supersized persons take up a portion of my seat, often with the arm rest up because it simply could not come down.
I’ve been stepped on by a not too-agile tourist who tried to hurdle me as opposed to asking me to move so he could get up.
I’ve had women dig their nails into me during takeoff, landing, and turbulence. I’ve also had women expose themselves and one delightful young lady take off her shoes so she could touch me with her bare feet. I’m as hetero as the make them, but even I was uncomfortable. Who wants to involuntarily sport wood in 3A?
I had my eye poked by a walking stick.
More spills and trips to the drycleaner than I can count
I can think of only 2 people who I met and had real conversations with during a flight. I fly 80 to 100 segments a year.
Flyimg is often a source of fear & tension for a great many people.
This creates an atmosphere of tension, as the other passengers sense it, & respond.
Flights are alway much, much worse near a person who is really freaked about heights.
I’ll pitch in, too - I’m a young woman who has almost always flown alone. Well, there is always some guy who thinks I need to be rescued that I must be some kind of DID, and I won’t survive if he doesn’t lend me his STRONG ARM right then.
Needless to say I find this annoying. I’m quite cable of getting of the plane. I may look innocent, but I’m not.
On behalf of decent (and yet still single) guys, let me apologize for this schmuck. It’s guys like him that give the rest of us bad reputations.
I’m a social person. I’ll talk to everyone. Not necessarily on a plane, as I generally have no desire to, other than a wisecrack or two. That said, though, I don’t mind conversing with someone on a plane. Then again, I’ve also never flown more than 2, 2 1/2 hours at a time.
This thread reminds me of Dave Barry’s comment in In Cyberspace:
No, I’m the same way. I fly EVERY WEEK and I haven’t any idea what these people are complaining about - a geniunely combative passenger who assaults you is one thing, but these other minor things are no big deal. I just go with the flow and everything is fine.
